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Since 1974, the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA) had been the systematic means for developed countries to restrict textiles and clothing imports from developing countries, which did not conform to the GATT/WTO rules. In 1994, however, the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing was signed, prescribing a 10-year progressive phase-out of the MFA and integration into GATT 1994 rules. By late 2004, the complete phase-out of the MFA on 1 January 2005 had rekindled the debate between protectionists and free-trade advocates. Meanwhile, firms in Hong Kong, one of the world's major textiles and clothing exporting nations, were gearing up for the change.